Seven suspected drug dealers charged

Tuesday

Jan 14, 2014 at 6:03 PM

Seven suspected drug dealers were arrested in Pike County Tuesday as part of an investigation by the Pike County District Attorney’s Office into the sale of heroin and cocaine.Three additional arrests are expected, officials said.

By Beth BreljePocono Record Writer

Seven suspected drug dealers were arrested in Pike County Tuesday as part of an investigation by the Pike County District Attorney’s Office into the sale of heroin and cocaine.Three additional arrests are expected, officials said.District Attorney Raymond Tonkin said the investigation focused on drug dealing in Delaware and Dingman townships, but also included drug purchases in Matamoras Borough.The investigation began three months ago when detectives from the Pike County District Attorney’s Office learned that there was a group of loosely knit individuals selling heroin and cocaine in the Delaware Township area.Through the use of informants and undercover officers, investigators made a total of 16 purchases of heroin and five purchases of cocaine. In all, investigators purchased approximately 535 bags of heroin and 22.8 grams of cocaine.After Pike County detectives obtained arrest warrants for a total of 10 individuals, approximately 30 law enforcement agents from the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pike County Sheriff’s Office, Eastern Pike Regional Police, Milford Police Department, Shohola Police Department, the Wayne County District Attorney’s Office and the Pike County Probation Department set out early Tuesday to serve arrest warrants.A total of seven were arrested, with three still being sought. An 11th was charged with hindering the arrest of two individuals.According to Tonkin, charged were:• Saeed Musah, 21, of Milford, who allegedly sold cocaine to a confidential informant on three separate occasions.• Brad Middaugh, 19, of Dingmans Ferry, who allegedly sold heroin to a confidential informant on four occasions between October and November 2013.• John Joray of Dingmans Ferry and Matthew Maloney, of Sunrise Lakes in Milford, both 25, are accused of selling heroin to a confidential informant on three separate occasions. On Nov. 25, 2013, the confidential informant met with Joray, whose 18-month-old son was in the back seat of his car, where he prompted his son to say racist and derogatory terms, authorities said. In a separate drug purchase on Dec. 9, 2013, Joray set up a buy with an unknown male for 50 bags of heroin of $600. But when detectives went to test the suspected heroin, they found most of the bags were empty. • Patrick Sullivan, 21, of Dingmans Ferry, allegedly sold 48 packets of suspected heroin to a confidential informant.• Robert Koetzle, 18, of Milford, who allegedly met on Dec. 5, 2013, with Sullivan to sell detectives and a confidential informant 50 packets of suspected heroin for $600. The confidential informant told detectives he had just received a call from Jory, telling the informant that Koetzle planned to rip him off by taking the money and running out a back window into a car that would be waiting.• George Earle IV, 24, of Dingmans Ferry, is accused of meeting with a confidential informant between December 2013 and January 2014 to deliver heroin and crack. • Emmett Pierson, 62, Milford, claimed he didn’t know who Koetzle and Earle were when police went to his house to serve arrest warrants on the two. Pierson said that he was only watching the house.While following Pierson into the residence, officers heard the toilet flushing and Earle was observed flushing items believed to be controlled substances. Koetzle was then located in a rear bathroom also flushing items believed to be controlled substances down the toilet.It was later discovered Koetzle rents a room from Pierson. “The investigation and arrest will certainly curtail heroin and cocaine dealing in the Delaware/Dingman area and make the community a safer place,” Tonkin said. “We also hope to solve additional crimes through these arrest, as many times drugs are associated with other criminal activity.”